Shaping [Re]settlement Ecologies in Mumbai, India.

Mumbai, India

By Shibani Jadhav
mumbai, resettlement, relocation, mward,

Deep Mapping Mumbai is an integral part of Shibani's Masters thesis: Shaping [Re]settlement Ecologies in Mumbai.

Shibani’s practice aims to critically engages with the urban process of [re]settlement to situate a scenario that alleviate socio-economical and spatial segregation of marginalized communities, rather than one that enforces an ecology of repression and neglect.

In a sincere attempt to humanize the existing mechanisms, my practice indulges in three different interventions: the Deep Map, the Listening Archive and the Youth Program.

The aim of deep mapping [re]settlement in Mumbai is to bring forth the macro contextual factors of existing and proposed resettlement locations that affects the everyday life of the inhabitants. This online, interactive map aims to be a tool for local organizations, activists and the beneficiaries to set criteria and to make informed decisions in relation to the selection of locations for [re]settlement. By visualizing the macro factors that influences the ecologies of the given locations, the map brings forth the urgency to address different aspects of vulnerability, that should be considered during such a life transforming process.

The identified vulnerability factors can be classified as: Environmental, Social and Economical. The Environmental factors such as the nature and composition of the geographical terrain, proximity to protected areas [Coastal regulation Zones: deltas, ,mangroves and so on. The Social factors can further be classified into two, one which includes proximity to hazardous locations such as dumping grounds, Nuclear reactor and industries, while the other is access to civic amenities and basic services, the impact of [re]settlement through oral histories. The Economical factors can be measured in relation to pre and post resettlement locations, the distance between the two, proximities to affordable transportation systems and the availability of economic opportunities near the resettled location. By illustrating the three factors the deep map intendants to highlight the formation of a restricted geography, one that leads to clustering of previously segregated and marginalized communities. The concentration of existing and proposed [re]settlement projects is clearly evident through the visualization. Further the concentration of theses settlements in far off locations is leading to geographical segregation of communities which primarily have been socially and culturally segregated.